


After the Fall

by lilac_heart (destinedtobelokid)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-24 09:19:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/632825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/destinedtobelokid/pseuds/lilac_heart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"When Percival stumbles onto the banks of Avalon, Morgana’s body is lying on the ground, her haunting eyes staring up into the sky, sightless. Percival walks around her crumpled body, towards the water, towards Merlin. The servant stands in the shallows of the water, staring off into the distance. The ripples of water lap at Merlin’s legs, whispering quietly to him as its many colours- gold, blue, red, white- shimmer in the setting suns light. Cautiously, the knight moves forward."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Fall

When Percival stumbles onto the banks of Avalon, Morgana’s body is lying on the ground, her haunting eyes staring up into the sky, sightless. Percival walks around her crumpled body, towards the water, towards Merlin. The servant stands in the shallows of the water, staring off into the distance. The ripples of water lap at Merlin’s legs, whispering quietly to him as its many colours- gold, blue, red, white- shimmer in the setting suns light. Cautiously, the knight moves forward.

Before he can call out, Merlin turns to him. His eyes are as blue as Percival remembers, but they’re empty, cold, lifeless. He looks broken and lost. Merlin seems to have aged years since the knight had last seen him.

“Merlin…?” Percival asks quietly.

“Arthur’s gone.” As Merlin replies, he closes his eyes and turns away.

Percival bows his head in silence.

“Long live the Once and Future King,” Merlin murmurs. Percival doesn’t answer. Merlin continues, “The battle is won, but Camelot has lost.”

Percival swallows against the lump in his throat. Camelot lost many in the battle. Percival’s seen the bodies, he’d once known the faces, the men. The guard who stood on night watch with him. The old knight who’d been the first of Camelot’s men to welcome Percival. The solider who’d once stopped Gwaine from attacking a barkeep-

_Gwaine._

Gwaine is gone, too. Percival blinks against the growing sting of tears. He knows Merlin and Gwaine were close and Merlin deserves to know but after Arthur…

“Gwaine’s dead,” his voice betrays him with a croak.

Merlin simply nods and looks over his shoulder at Percival, tears in his eyes. “I know. I felt it.”

Percival frowns but doesn’t ask. He’s not sure he wants to know.

“It was strange, at first. When it happened, the earth seemed to shake with small tremors, and the birds stopped singing, if only for a moment. Everything dimmed, my vision went black and white, and I just knew. It happened when Elyan died, too. And Lancelot… And Arthur…” Merlin sighs and Percival doesn’t think Merlin is talking to him any more. “I think it’s magic, from the Round Table, perhaps, or maybe it’s just me. Kilgarrah might know…” He trails off slowly, his voice nothing more than a mumbling whisper, talking of magic and dragons and destiny. If he’d been a stranger, Percival would have thought him a madman.

“Will you come back to Camelot?” He asks instead, and Merlin seems to snap out of his rambling. He stops and after a moment, he shakes his head.

“No.” He crouches and brushes his fingers over the waters golden surface, as though caressing a lover’s cheek. “I am needed elsewhere.”

“Where will you go?”

Merlin cups his hand in the water and lifts it up, watching as the droplets run between his fingers and splash against the water, breaking the smooth surface, shattering it like glass.

“I’ll go wherever I’m needed.” He says and Percival nods slowly.

“What do I tell the Queen and Gaius? What do I tell Camelot’s people?”

Merlin’s shoulders stiffen and his voice is tired, yet strong, “Tell them their King is dead.”

Merlin stares down at the water, whispers something so faint Percival can’t hear, but from the small smile on Merlin’s lips, he knows the words are fond and affectionate. Then he stands and slowly walks from the water.

“Tell them the Once and Future King rests in the waters of Avalon and his Sorcerer watches over him. Protecting him, like he always does.”


End file.
